NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of South Africa
Iriphabhuliki Igizimu Africa (Zulu)
Republiek van Suid-Afrika (Afrikaans)
former: Union of South Africa
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa |
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Geographic coordinates:
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29 00 S, 24 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 1,219,912 sq km
land: 1,219,912 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island) water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km |
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Coastline:
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2,798 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights |
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Terrain:
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vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas |
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Land use:
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arable land: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.77% other: 87.1% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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13,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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prolonged droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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42,768,678
note: South Africa took a census October 1996 that showed a population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8% underenumeration based on a postenumeration survey); estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 30% (male 6,460,273; female 6,377,090)
15-64 years: 65% (male 13,807,922; female 13,970,088) 65 years and over: 5% (male 864,441; female 1,288,864) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 24.5 years
male: 24 years female: 25 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.01% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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18.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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18.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 60.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 56.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 64.73 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 46.56 years
male: 46.57 years female: 46.54 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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20.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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5 million (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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360,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: South African(s)
adjective: South African |
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Ethnic groups:
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black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6% |
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Religions:
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Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5% |
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Languages:
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11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4% male: 87% female: 85.7% (2003 est.) |